Super-proud: Chichester City coach hails squad after FA Trophy win and league loss

City are through to the second round of the FA Trophy after a 2-0 win at Gosport Borough in a wind and rain-hit first round tie last Saturday. They couldn’t follow that with a second win in a week, though were unfortunate to end as the losing side at home to Hanworth Villa in a Southern League Premier South tussle at Oaklands Park on Tuesday night.

At Gosport, a first half goal from City’s top scorer Harry Bridle plus Isaac Bello’s lovely finish after the break dumped the ten-man hosts out. That earned City £3,000 prize money and the draw has handed them a second-round visit to National South high flyers Salisbury on Saturday, November 14.

In Tuesday’s league game Bridle scored again to cancel out Haydon Vaughan’s Villa opener – but Michael Harding’s goal won it for the third-placed visitors midway through the second half.

Killpartrick made mention of the application the City squad were showing in a hectic run of games. They are in the middle of a run of 10 fixtures of which seven are away from – with a league trek to Frome next up on Saturday and a succession of away draws in cups adding to the gruelling schedule.

Killpartrick said: “We were very pleased with the performance at Gosport. We were disciplined, moved the ball into the right areas and got the ball into the box. Our attitude was spot-on in awful conditions and after Gosport had a man sent off we managed it well. It’s great for the club to reach the second round of the Trophy but it’s a shame we have yet another away tie.”

Killpartrick felt a draw at home to Hanworth Villa would have been fair. And he said it was the latest in a long line of entertaining end-to-end home games that was a superb advert for the league – and that more fans should be watching.

“I thought we were worthy of a point based on our performance and the chances we created,” he said. “It was another game where we came away feeling we and the fans had been really well entertained. We’ve had a string of games like that – and we’d love more people to watch. They won’t be disappointed. “We’re super-proud of what the squad and everyone at the club is achieving.”

Defender Curtis Da Costa has picked up a knee injury and the club are still looking to bring in one or two new faces.